Half to augustus e



@.R. ODBAN. BICYCLE WHEEL.

No. 594,211.;v E Patented Nov. lz3, 1897.3

Quaid/w R. Odealz,

UNITED STATES GUS'rAvUS R. ODEAN, OFMINNEArOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR'- OF ONE# l PATENT OFFICE.

HALF To AUGUSTUS E. MCOARTY, OF SAME P LAOE.

BICYCLE-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Ltters'ratent No. 594,211, dated November 23, 1897'.y

Application vfiled Ju1y6.1896. Serin no. 598,193. (No model.)

' vTamil' whom, it may concern:

. n@ it known that I, GUSTAVUS R, ODEAN', of

the city of Minneapolis, county of Hennepin, State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycle-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to Wheels for bicycles.v

. and light vehicles; and the object of the i-nf vention vis to provide a wheelhaving a cashion-ure of a non-pneumatic construction,

whereby the wheels are vadapted 4tovlight vehicles and particularly to bicycles. j

A further object of the invention is to pro.- vide a tire which will resemble the ordinary pneumatic tire bothfin form and as to thev manner of its operation or use, the same having all the needed'resiliency or cushion qualities possessed by the present pneumatic tire.

A further and particular object of the invention is to provide a cushion or spring tire wherein but one spring is employed, the same adapted to yield when at the point of contact with the ground, andwherein said spring is held firmly with respect to the4 rim of the wheel, the'straiu' being equally distributed` about the wheel rim and hub, thereby rendering it possible to build a cushion-tire wheel of a weight not exceeding and possibly lighter than the present bicye1ewhee1s.

My invention'consists generally in a wheel comprising the hub, spokes, and rim, in combination with a spring or flexible tire proper,

and outwardly inelastic but inwardlycollap-v vsible means connecting said tire with the said invention.

rim, whereby the tire while held firmly cou- .centric with all other parts'of the rim will yield toward the same atl the ground-contact point; and, further, my invention consists-in particular constructions and combinations ofv parts, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims'.

The invention will vbe more readily under-- stood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, and inwhichl Figure 1 illustrates wheel embodying -my v Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of a seetion of the wheel. Fig ..3 is'asectional view on the line ac of Fig. 2. Fig. v.4. is a similart section showing a modified form 01":A rim and also showing the outer tire or covering. Fig.; f`

` 5 shows a modified construction ofthe rim 'and the` fastening means. Figs. 6 and7lare .in makingthe same.

- detail t ie-ws of modified ties orstalys adapted for employment between the rim and the tire' 55 proper. s As-shown in' the drawings, 2 represents the hub of the kwheeland 3 the rim. thereof, the*` two being connected vby the spokes 4. ThisA rim may be of any suitable construction,` as indicated in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. In Fig. 5x1 have shown a rim 3 of -wood similar tovthose now in use. In the other figures I have shown metallic rings, each comprising a ring 6,' hav ing the verticali andintegral ange or web 7.

In the flange or web-7 I provide means for locking and tightening the Spokes 4.

8 represents a thin metal tire proper, preferably` of spring-steel and of any width desired. This 'tire proper in itself is very flexible and the ring Or hoop is of greater diameter than the rim 3, an annular space of from one to two vinches being preferably allowed and rim. These stays are` inelastic and through the employment-of a large ,numberofl 4them it is obvious that a tire will be held con= centric .with the rim and thel hub of the wheel the same, while, as thestays are flexible,l any part of the'tire may be pressed inward toward the rim, the-stays'beneath saidpart collapsing at such time. The'stays maybe composed-'of straight wires or cords, of chains,

spring-links or sliding links,one' form ofwhich ,is shown in Fig. 6, o r of light cables or cords of wire or other material.

strongenough and of Such material as to pre-Y Thetiesgnust be venttheir being stretchedand lengthened by the tensionY placed thereon, and this, with a '8s and locked against any movement away from degree' otilexibility sufficient to--allow the collapse of the'stays, is the onlyactual re# quirementrelative to the material to be used y .The stays are preferably' arranged as tanvg'ents from 4the rim, and vI preferably employ K twoo'r' more Ser'iesof stays to increase the 'hilmber of tangentiall connections' between thleti/refa'nd rim and renderjjt possible to use ra very light spring-tire 8. VEach series of staysmay be constituted by a single cord or 4wire having alternate' points of attachment upon the tire Yand rim and locked to each at l -5 such point of attachment. In such cases I 'preferV tol provide means-joining the ends of such cord or wire and by which th`e same may be drawn tightly before theffastenings 9 and 10 are tightenedto lockl the. cord or wire.

1o The fastening and`tension device may ccnl.'

,sist in a small turnbuckle 13. (Shown in `IFig. ,1.) Providing the continuouscords or wires making up the stays shown in Fig.A 1 'are alldrawn to the same tension, -tl1etightl 'f5 eningof the turnbuckles will center the tire with respect to the rim.' j I believe it is desirableto make the stays of each series of al` c number of pieces of Wire, chain,ercord, mak- Y ingftwo stays from asingle piece of wire, as zofshown in Fig. 2, and giving the middle of the `piece a single wrapabout the screw 1,4 of the tirefastening,.while the' endsot the piece are adjustably fastenedlby the lockf-nuts or u in any other 'manner which.; will admit of z 5 .tightening ofthe stays when necessary. The fastenings upon the insideot the tire S` are preferably all in line one with the other, while those upon the rim74A are alternated or stag` gered, so that in cross-section the stays will 3. appear as do thespokes of a wheel when similarly vieWed. In this manner` the tire isr braced or tiedk against lateral movement with respect to therim.. i f L With `,a very strong or sti tire 8 a single ;.5 set of stays may be used, ut in such a case I prefer to increasethe angleof the stays be? tween the rim and tira/so that the points of .support upon'thetire will be somewhat closer together than shown for oppositefastening' 4o points/in Figs. 1f 'and 2. For a light structure Y the form shown is preferred;

' Vli" n pressure is applied to the lowerpar of the wheel, as by' contact with the ground,

l that-portion of the tire'lying betweenthe "stays which are in a tangential line with one Lanother. will. spring inward towardxthe tire, the rest of the tire from one stay-point around the other being meantime *heldV 'firmly-about the rim. As the wheel rolls the yielding point 5o will advanceand the staysrst collapsed will draw tight again. ,In better explanation of the ,device it may be said that 'the-flexible, tire is held against outward movement by'attach (ment to the' apeXes of a series of flexible or collapsible` triangles interposed between the tire and the rim, the sides and base of said triangles being inelastic, while as to altitude said ,triangles are collapsible or iiexible to permit the tire to yield inwardly.

6o To conceal the fiatspring stripor tirean also the ties .and-to prevent sand or mud from getting into the ties, I preferably employ an outer cover or tire, such. as that shown in Fig. p 4, the same having a thick rubber thread 16 and thin flexible sides 17, the edges of which are fastened upon the rim. For this purpose `bicycles may be employed, ythe rim in each case being suited to the particular tire or tirecovering to be used. In addition to its in- 7o vardsyielding qualities the tire, being thin and very iiexible, will -yield or tilt upon the stays to conform ltoany lateral irregularities of th'e road or path. p v

As a driving force will be communicated from the rim' to the tire through'the tangential stays or ties, any cushion-wheels may be used as the power or drive wheels of bicycles or other vehicles.

Having thus described Vmy invention, I 8o claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent-. y V

l. In awheelthe combination of a flexible tire, with an inflexible wheellrim of,4 smaller' diameter than said tire, inelastic but collapsi- .ble ties or stays, connecting said tire and rim, and arranged tangentially with respect to said wheel-rim, andywhereby said -tire is held con- Y centric with" the rim except at the point of .contact with the ground, substantially as Ide- 9o scribed. l A I 2. The combination, in a wheel, ofthe rim, with the iiexible `spring-tire of greater diameter than saidrim, 'lock-fastenings provided upon the tire and rim, the 'taut stays or ties 95 tangentially arranged with respect to said rim and secured in said fastenings, means for tightening said stays or ties, and said stays or. ties being inelastic but iiexible, substantially as described. "f i 3.' The combination,.in a wheel, of the rim, with the tire of greater diameter than said rim, fastening-s proyided in the middle of the' said tire and at the'edges of said rim, and ties or stays Valternated upon the two sides of the A:mnt

Wlieel-rim and secured in said fastenings, the

said tiesor Vstays acting to stay the tire in a lateral direction, and being inelastic but collapsible, substantially as described.

LL. The combination, .in a wheel, of the in- 1 rc flexible wheel-rim, with the flexible tire, the tangential ties or stays connecting-.said rim and tire, two or more sets or series of said ties or stays being employed, whereby the tire is supported at many points, and said ties or 1 15 stays being collapsible but inelastic,whereby the tire is held concentric withthe rim at' all points except at the pointof contact with the ground, substantially as described.

y 5. The combination, ina wheel, of the rim, 12o with the flexible tire, the tangential, collapsible and inelastic ties or stays connecting 4said rim and tire,the flexible tread provided on said tire and the thin flexible sides inclosing the space between the rim and the tire, and fastened upon the rim, substantially as de,- scribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of June, A. 13.1896.

' GUSTAVUS R. ODEAN.

'In presence ofm C. G. HAWLEY,

almost any ofthe'ettsid'e tires of theordinary M'.Y E. GooLEY. 

